“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.
“You need more clothing than that, Suki. This entire room is filled with clothes. You should get at least three or four times that many dresses. Or perhaps you want pants? I’ve seen Maggie wear them.”
“I don’t want to take too many,” she said. “What if the others need them? Navya and Fenella need clothes too.”
“Suki, there’s more than enough, and the three of you don’t seem to be the same size. Please take the items you like. If we need more, I’m sure Lathim can find them.”
Suki chewed on her lower lip and dug through the crate. Tark broke another one open, and she found some leggings and tunic style shirts inside. She grabbed several of each. By the time they left, Tark was carrying at least ten outfits for her. Suki stared at everything as they walked through the town. There was a bazaar of some sort with tables and tents set up, wares and food of all types spread out. Tark paused by one that contained jewelry. He picked up a silver cuff bracelet and slipped it onto Suki’s wrist.
“Tark, I don’t need shiny things.”
“Perhaps you don’t need them, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have them.”
Tark nodded to the cyborg behind the table and pushed her further along. She looked over her shoulder and wondered why he hadn’t paid for the bracelet. He stopped twice more, selecting the things he thought she might like, and again she didn’t see him didn’t pay for anything. She didn’t understand this world or their society, but it seemed to be peaceful.
The homes were made of some sort of stone that was probably common on this planet. They walked a little further and Tark stopped in front of a home that looked like the others around it. He knocked on the door and a cyborg answered who looked like he’d last had a good night’s sleep a few years ago. He glanced from Tark down to Suki, and a slight smile curved his lips.
“Tark, have you taken a mate?” the cyborg asked.
“Yes. Suki, this is Rorwick. Jillian is living with him.”
Rorwick had a flash of pain in his eyes when her name was mentioned, and Suki wondered just how bad things were between the two. Rorwick motioned for them to enter, and he led the way back to a room that overlooked a patio of some sort. It would have been a spectacular spot for a garden, but there wasn’t even a hint of dirt or grass back there.
A redhead sat on what looked to be an alien version of a sofa, and she scowled when she saw Rorwick. Her expression cleared when she noticed Suki and Tark.
“We have company,” Rorwick said. “Tark has taken a mate.”
“Did you get knocked over the head and dragged here caveman-style?” Jillian asked.
“Um, no. Tark saved my life.”
She glanced at Tark and gave a slight nod. “Good for you. I hope you treat her well.”
Rorwick made a sound like a wounded animal, though a big one, and then left the room. Tark kissed Suki’s cheek and followed his friend. Jillian motioned for her to sit down, and Suki was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the furniture was. It had looked like it might be a little stiff, but she sank onto the cushion.
“Tark said you’ve lived here a year,” Suki said. “It seems like a nice place.”
“Unless you live with a behemoth like Rorwick.”
“He seemed… stressed. And tired.”
Jillian shrugged. “I’m not making his life easy, but what would you have done if you’d woken on a strange planet, in a strange man’s home, and he decided he was going to claim you like a piece of luggage?”
“I guess it would depend on the circumstances. It took us several days to reach Xpashta. Why were you asleep for the trip here?” Suki asked.
“I was sick and had been ejected into space in a rescue pod. According to the medic who tended me, I was nearly dead. Rorwick decided the second the pod was open that I belonged to him,” Jillian said. “Didn’t give me any say at all!”
“He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, even though I don’t really know him. There’s no anger or hatred in his eyes, no evil. Why don’t you want to be with him?”
“I’m not a piece of property! I should get to make my own choices.”
Suki looked around the room a moment before settling her gaze on Jillian again. “If you could choose, who would you want to be with? Has another cyborg caught your attention?”
Jillian’s cheeks flushed.
“So, there is someone?” Suki asked.
“There’s a cyborg I’ve spoken to at the marketplace a few times. He’s always smiling, always happy, and he’s so polite. When I’m with him, even if it’s just a few minutes, I feel a peace I haven’t experienced since I left Earth. I tried with Rorwick. I did. Yes, I threw a tantrum at first and I was furious, then I understood his position and why he’d claimed me. It still didn’t make it right, and I honestly don’t feel a connection to him. It’s like they’re all forcing me to be with Rorwick, and I just…”
“You don’t think you could ever love him?” Suki asked.
“No,” Jillian said and sighed. “I really don’t. I don’t like it when he touches me, even though it’s never inappropriate. I don’t even like being in the same room as him. I’m sorry if that makes me a horrible bitch.”
“Have you told anyone how you feel? Maybe told him about your connection to the other cyborg? Is it possible he returns your feelings?” Suki asked.
“I haven’t because any time I’ve expressed my displeasure, I’ve been dismissed. The other cyborg… we don’t discuss my situation with Rorwick, but I can tell by the way he looks at me that he cares. I feel safe with him. There’s a kindness in his eyes that makes me feel warm. With Rorwick, I feel like he just wants me as a possession, like I’m his because he’s the one who pulled me from the escape pod. I know he wants a mate, but I don’t have feelings for him. Not like that.”
Suki nodded. “All right. What’s the other cyborg’s name?”
“Balize.”
“I know I’m new here, but maybe because I’m new I can get someone to listen. Would you be all right with me talking to Tark and maybe one of the Commanders? I’m sure they would rather you be happy here than with someone who makes you miserable,” Suki said.
“I make you miserable?”
Suki jerked her head toward the door and paled when she saw Rorwick and Tark. Rorwick looked ill and it seemed like a giant weight settled on his shoulders. She wished that she could ease his pain, that there was a way for both of them to win in this situation, but she didn’t see that happening.
“I had thought maybe you would eventually…” Rorwick trailed off and shook his head. “I never meant to make you miserable. I liked your fire and didn’t realize you truly hated being here. I thought you were playing hard to get. I’ve heard some human females do that. I thought I was supposed to chase you, to wait you out. It never occurred to me that you really didn’t want to be with me. If you don’t wish to remain here, I won’t force you. You can have whatever you want from the house.”
He turned and walked off and a look of guilt crossed Jillian’s face. Suki reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. Tark came closer and knelt in front of Suki.
“What do you need from me, mate?” he asked.
“Can you find Balize and bring him here?” she asked. “I think it’s time he and Jillian talked about something more meaningful than whatever he has in the marketplace.”
“Why don’t we take Jillian to him?” Tark suggested. “Rorwick left, but he could return and seeing Belize with the woman he wanted to claim might be painful. He truly didn’t understand that Jillian wanted her freedom to choose another. We have very little knowledge and understanding of human females, except for what we’ve learned since Lathim found Maggie. Rorwick never meant any harm.”
Suki nodded.
She and Jillian stood and followed Tark out of Rorwick’s house and to a home not far away. The cyborg who opened the door smiled at Tark, then it slowly slipped from his face as he saw Jillian. The intense loo
k in his eyes told Suki everything she needed to know. He cared for Jillian as much as she seemed to like him.
“Why are you here?” Balize asked, his gaze landing on Tark.
“Jillian has let Rorwick know she doesn’t wish to live with him.” Tark looked at Jillian then Suki. “It was my mate’s suggestion that perhaps she could find out what Jillian truly wanted. It seems she wants you.”
Belize stepped out of the house and stopped in front of Jillian, his fingers twitched as if he wanted to reach for her.
“Is this true?” he asked. “You wish to be my mate?”
Jillian nodded but looked conflicted. “I didn’t know if you wanted me though.”
Balize reached up and cupped her cheek. “I would be honored to claim you as my mate.”
Jillian gave him a hesitant smile. Suki reached for Tark’s hand and led him away from the couple. They probably had a lot to discuss. And someone should check on Rorwick. The cyborg had looked completely gutted. Suki could only imagine how hard it must have been hearing Jillian was miserable when all Rorwick had wanted was to make her his and give her a good life. Even though he hadn’t said as much, Suki knew that’s what Tark wanted for her. If Tark called Rorwick his friend, then the cyborg couldn’t be bad.
“Should we check on Rorwick?” she asked.
“He’ll want some space,” Tark said. “Possibly even off-world. If there’s a ship leaving soon, I’d be willing to bet he’ll be on it.”
“I feel so bad for him, but I’m glad that Jillian can be with the cyborg she wants. Maybe the right female for him is still out there somewhere.”
“I need to take you home,” Tark said. “We’ll put your clothes away, and you can see if there’s anything you need or want for the house. It’s rather plain right now.”
“I’m all right with plain.”
Honestly, just knowing she would have a home again was enough reason to celebrate. She didn’t need pretty things. Tark had given her more than she’d thought she’d ever have again. And she was more than ready to expand his education on the other benefits of having a mate. It still baffled her that the sexy man hadn’t ever been intimate with someone before. She only hoped she didn’t disappoint him.
Chapter Five
Tark could admit that he was a bit anxious over Suki seeing her new home. He wanted her to like it, and hoped that she would do whatever it took to make the place feel like she belonged there. The fact he had a mate still seemed a little surreal. While he’d gone to that part of the station in hopes of perhaps purchasing a slave, he’d been worried that even a female he purchased would be terrified of him. Despite everything Suki had been through, she was strong and hadn’t given up. And for some reason, she accepted him as her mate. Even seemed pleased with the idea.
She was more than he had ever hoped for, and Tark was worried he wouldn’t live up to her expectations. It wasn’t just his home, or the fact she was on a new planet with very few humans. He’d never been intimate with anyone before. Suki might not have chosen all of her sexual partners, but she knew more than he did. What if she found him lacking when it came to intimacy?
Suki wandered the house, touching things here and there, but he couldn’t tell what she thought about the place. When she entered their bedroom, she ran her fingers across the blanket covering the bed. She turned and checked out the space, then focused on him. With a smile curving her lips, she crooked her finger and beckoned him closer. Tark swallowed the knot in his throat and moved nearer to his sweet mate, wondering what she wanted. Even though Wrylack had cleared her for intimacy, he’d thought she might want more time. They were still strangers, and she had so many things that were new in her life. Didn’t females need an adjustment period?
“You liked kissing me, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Very much.” Was that his voice? He cleared his throat and looked around uneasily.
“Tark?”
He glanced down at Suki and saw that she was removing her clothes. His cock hardened immediately, but he took a hasty step back. He hadn’t expected such a bold move from her and felt completely off balance, but then she’d made him feel that way from the moment she’d said she wanted to be his. Suki was different from anyone he’d met before, in a good way, but it sometimes made him feel like he was floundering.
“Suki, I… we don’t have to do this right now. There’s plenty of time,” he said.
“Tark. Get undressed.”
He slowly reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Her lips parted as she stared at his chest, but it was her light touch that nearly undid him. His body shuddered as she caressed him, her fingers stroking over every exposed inch of his skin. He held still, worrying that if he moved, he might frighten her. Just because she was instigating things didn’t mean she wouldn’t change her mind.
Suki reached for the fastening of his pants, then shoved them down his hips. Tark still had his boots on and stared at his feet a moment before leaning down and removing the boots and pants. Suki bit her lip as she walked around him, her fingers trailing along his skin. His cock was throbbing, and if she so much as touched his shaft, he worried he’d come before he could even get inside of her. Tark wanted to please her, to make the experience good for her, but he didn’t know how. He was starting to wish he’d asked questions of the mated males.
He slowly reached for her, feeling how soft and silky her skin was. His fingers slid across her nipple and she moaned, her eyes sliding shut. He wondered what other parts of her would elicit that response. Tark took his time, enjoying the feel of her. Her nipples were hard, and he discovered she liked it when he pinched them. The musk of her arousal filled the air, making him even harder. When Suki trembled and lay back on the bed, parting her legs, he groaned.
“So beautiful,” he said. “Suki, I…”
She shushed him. “I know you’re a virgin. You don’t have to be embarrassed, Tark. There isn’t a male out there who can last long his first time. I may not have had experience on Earth, but I heard the girls giggling at school.”
She held her hands out to him and Tark climbed onto the bed, kneeling between her legs. He settled his body over hers, and the feel of her slick pussy was almost enough to make him come. He clenched his jaw as he sank into her. She felt like wet silk, her warmth wrapping around his shaft and welcoming him into her body. Tark looked down at Suki, holding her gaze as he thrust into her. There was tenderness looking back at him, and happiness. She ran her fingers along his jaw, her fingers rasping against the white scruff that wasn’t quite a full beard, then wrapped her legs around his waist.
He slid deeper into her and knew he couldn’t hold back for long. It only took another three strokes and he was coming. Suki kissed him, stroking his shoulder and back with her hand. He shuddered, still buried inside of her. Nothing could have prepared him for how good she’d feel. It wasn’t like he’d never come before. He’d used his hand plenty of times, but it wasn’t even a little bit like being inside of Suki.
“That was…” He didn’t even have words for it.
“Perfect,” she said.
“No.” He frowned. “You didn’t come. I may not know much about how this works, but I can tell you didn’t experience what I did.”
“Tark, the fact that it was you inside of me was what made it perfect. If you want to make me come, I can show you how.”
His gaze traced what he could see of her body. “Show me.”
She pushed at his shoulder a little and he lifted some, but kept their bodies joined. She reached for his hand and placed it at the top of her pussy, then parted the lips some more, showing him a little nub. It stood up and was slick from her need.
“Rub me here, and I’ll come,” she said.
Tark stroked her right where she’d shown him, and it didn’t take long before he felt her getting even hotter and wetter. When she came, her pussy clenching tight on his cock, it was enough to make him rock hard again. He started thrusting as he rubbed the littl
e spot and when she came a second time, he followed. Tark worried he would be too heavy if he collapsed on top of her, so he rolled them to their sides, his arm going around her waist as he held her close, careful not to squeeze too hard since it was his cybernetic arm.
“I’m sorry,” he said. A male with more experience would have pleased her more. On the battlefield, he was legendary. But when it came to females? Tark had no experience and he couldn’t help but feel as if he’d failed her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said, snuggling closer. “You’re the first guy to ever give me an orgasm. Instead of beating yourself up, you should be congratulating yourself.”
“We’ll have to disagree on that.”
“Tark,” she said softly.
He looked down and held her gaze.
“I meant what I said. The fact it was you making love to me made it special, perfect even. That you care about me, wanted to please me, makes this the best experience I’ve ever had. Please stop tearing yourself down. You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”
His throat tightened with emotion. It amazed him that someone so small could have such an effect on him. Tark didn’t know what he’d ever done to deserve a mate as sweet as Suki, but he wanted to give her the best life he could. If he needed to take fewer missions, then he’d ask for a job to do on Xpashta. Whatever she needed, he’d see that she had it.
“You should rest,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I know Wrylack said it was all right to be intimate, but you’ve been through a lot and may not be fully healed.”
Suki sighed. “Tark, you heard him. He said everything was fine.”
Maybe, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t worry about her. It seemed she’d been a long time without someone watching over her. From what he’d learned, her sister had tried, but they had been kept separate after they were sold to the brothel. It still pained him, his inability to save Yoko. Deep down, he knew he wasn’t at fault, and it was a miracle he’d been able to get Suki out of there, and his brother cyborgs had retrieved the other two females, but it wasn’t enough. The suffering they’d endured was beyond horrific.
Saved by the Cyborg Page 5